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貝貨 (ばいか) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

貝ばい貨か

ば

い

か

Meanings

1

noun

shell money

archaic

Archaic term for currency made from shells, used in ancient East Asia.

中ちゅう国ごくの殷いん周しゅう時じ代だいには貝ばい貨かが使つかわれていた。
Shell money was used during the Shang and Zhou dynasties in China.

Kanji

貝shellfish
貨freight, goods, property

Etymology

Compound of 貝 (かい, 'shell') and 貨 (か, 'currency'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term directly describes the use of shells as money.